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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: file · safe · wound · staff · ball · jam · ruler · fall

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. staff — employees
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. fall — to drop
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. ball — a great time
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. wound — an injury
  15. fall — to drop
  16. staff — a stick
  17. fall — the season
  18. file — a document
  19. wound — an injury
  20. staff — employees
  21. file — a tool
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. file — a line of people

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com